Osprey - 5-1-2013 at 05:47 AM
Stolen Bicycle Caper
The police in small villages here in Baja Sur are principally traffic guys. They have limited training and/or authority outside the dirt streets and
paved boulevards in and around their place of work. That said, public safety and security including assault, burglary calls are not ignored and they
do the best they can. In burglaries they often lack the tools to see things through to an end; response, arrest, investigation and the gathering of
information and evidence, when and where possible are left to the ministerial police. Since the ministerial police are few they must roam from
district to district – it is just dumb luck when they happen to be near a village which has a crime of harm to persons or loss of property, to do all
the things that end up with an arrest and the bad guy in the local hoosegow or the regional prison.
I am always happy to report I have few “Mexican Police” stories or essays. This little piece shows why I feel that way.
I parked my oldie but goodie, a Schwinn bike with puncture proof tires, just inside the block wall around my house. One fine morning I woke up, went
out to gather up the now empty trash cans and saw that the bike was missing. I went to the Commandancia to report it stolen – it holds little value
for me but crimes unreported are signals to criminals that they may steal anything in this little village and nobody will care.
There were the usual cops at the station and when I told them what happened, that I wanted to make a report, one tall ugly guy showed me a chair, took
out a form and began to fill it out with a pencil. It was slow going because reading, writing were not what he did best and I rather think he was a
newbie forced to deal with this clumsy old gringo on a nuisance crime none of his superiors wanted to deal with.
I signed the form but they had no copy machine so I didn’t get copy. Another cop took the completed form (such as it was) and announced that he and
some others would follow me back to my house to investigate the crime. I stretched the hell out of my pueblo Spanish to tell them that was a waste of
time, that I described the bike, it was gone and there was no evidence or information waiting for me and them at my little casita.
They all smiled and gave me the kind of look you reserve for babies or really old people. Four of them got in the police truck and followed me home –
they indicated I should park across the street from my house. When we all met at my gate I realized I had overlooked one very important item in the
crime, the scene; the dirt. This part of the village has yet to have a paved or concrete street, boulevard or avenue. All four of the cops walked away
from my house following the bike’s distinctive tracks in the dirt street. At the end of the block they turned, returned to get their vehicle.
I went in the house, made some iced tea then relaxed on the patio to read a book until they finished their rustic investigation. Just as I poured my
second glass of icy tea, the truck pulled up to the gate and brought my unharmed bike back to its rightful owner. When I went out to get the bike,
thank them, they asked if I wanted to press charges against who they believed stole the bike. I said I didn’t want to press charges and with that they
rolled away into what was left of the morning.
The next day I learned that Luis Enrique, one of my old drinking pals, had taken the bike. He was obviously Mexican midnight drunk, afoot he came to
ask me for money for more beer, saw the bike and rode it, downhill, to the beach. When he awoke he was muy crudo, unsure about the bike and unable or
unwilling to pump it back uphill to my place.
Sooo another happy ending thanks to dedicated if not well paid, crime fighters of the Southland
Udo - 5-1-2013 at 07:23 AM
Happy ending, George.
See...
your local cops were not so neophyte after all. They told you to park across the street...so they can follow the bike trail...wherever it may lead
them.
Pretty ingenious of them.
Our cops in Big Bear did the same thing in following the footprints left by the cop killer...in the snow.
Great story, buddy, and glad it was a happy ending!
Osprey - 5-1-2013 at 07:49 AM
Maybe I'm giving the cops more credit than they deserve. Now that I think of it, Luis Enrique is huge and has feet like Shaq.
absinvestor - 5-1-2013 at 08:12 AM
The fact that they found the bike is not the story. The story is they cared enough to try!!
Osprey - 5-1-2013 at 08:39 AM
They always seem to go the extra mile when conditions allow. Most of them don't have cars/trucks so I always give em a ride when I see them on the
highway. I think only the commandante lives here -- the others live in surrounding villages in the municipio.
sancho - 5-1-2013 at 10:26 AM
There was a post here yrs. back, a long time Baja
visitor reported a bike taken form his campsite in
town, San Felipe. he said it was locked up. The
local Police found a young guy, they connected to
the theft. Charged him, whatever actual penalty
was, don't know. Got me wondering if this guy was
carrying a pair of bolt cutters around SF, not too sure
of that. Not too sure a TOURIST should, and he was proud
of it, get involved in despensing justice to a Juvenile Mex National. I think the responsibility is of the Gringo to
keep his things secure
DavidE - 5-1-2013 at 10:59 AM
Stainless steel cable laughs at bolt cutters even the best 48" Rigid®. American Lock makes a cut proof padlock